Improvement in school-desks



J. OHILDS.

School-Desk No. 220,466. Patented Oct. 14, I879 /4 Mm 42 W INVE ATTORNEY WITNESSES N'PETERS. PHOTD-UYHOQRAPHER. WASHINGTON. n cy UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

J. WALLACE OHILDS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT lN SCHOOL-DESKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,466, dated October 14, 1879; application filed July 2, 1879.

\ tion of a side view of my invention; and Fig.

2 is a front view thereof.

The nature of the invention consists, in a school-desk, table, or other device, of the combination of a standard or support having a gravitating dog or pawl with a vibrating leaf or book-rest pivoted to said standard or support, and having a fixed ratchet-plate provided with two or more notches, the gravitating pawl and fixed ratchet being arranged relatively to each other in the manner described, so that when the leaf is elevated to its full extent the pawl will fall out of the way and permit the leaf to automatically drop, and said pawl will automatically engage the ratchet upon elevating the leaf, as hereinafter shown .and described.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A designatesthe metallic support; B, the ink-well shelf, secured to its upper edge; and G, the back-rest of the seat in front, secured to the inclined front edge of said support, as shown in Fig. 1. At its edge contiguous to the front edge of the shelfB this support has a lug, a, that is lapped by a corresponding lug, b, on the metallic bracket 0, on the under side ofthe book-rest D, and connected thereto, after the manner of a hinge, by a pivot-pin. This construction allows the rest D to swing freely, and as the contiguous edges of the shelf and rest are the one rounded in concave and the other in convex form, no gap is caused by such swinging.

d indicates a vertically-vibrating gravitating dog or pawl, pivoted to support A below the ink-shelf, and provided with one or more notches, d,- and e a ratchet-plate, formed on or secured to the bracket 0, and provided with notches 0 upon its upper side, corresponding to those of the dog, and designed to engage therewith successively.

When not in use the book-rest hangs down vertically from the ink-shelf with the dog or pawl depending vertically. When the said rest is raised, the ratchet-plate is brought against the end of the dog or pawl, causing it to swing to the front in the position shown in Fig. 1, when it becomes engaged in the notch of the ratchet. In this position the rest is inclined; but if the rest be still farther raised, the end of the dog engages another notch of the ratchetplate, and maintains the said rest in a horizontal position.

By increasing the number of notches in ratchet-plate the book-rest may be adjusted at any angle desired. To lower the rest, raise it until the dog swings free of the ratchet, then let it down. During the downward movement of the rest the ratchet-plate strikes the pawl, swings it back, and, having cleared it, allows it to gravitate to its normal vertical position, ready to engage the ratchet-plate automatically when the book-rest is again raised.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a school-desk, table,or other device, the combination of a standard or support having a gravitating dog or pawl with a vibrating leaf or book-rest pivoted to said standard or support and provided with a fixed ratchetplate, provided with two or more notches, the gravitatin g pawl and the fixed ratchet arranged relatively to each other in the manner described, so that when the leaf is elevated to its full extent the pawl will fall out of the way and permit the leaf to automatically drop, and said pawl will automatically engage theratchet upon elevating the leaf, substantially as specifled.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

J. WALLACE GHILDS.

Witnesses:

J. W. DETRIOK, JAMES M. GHILDs. 

